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Question of the day

Posted in:

* As we’ve already discussed, the Illinois News Network is now called The Center Square. From the publisher…

When a reporter is on target within their beat, they’re said “to be hitting the center square.”

I asked several reporters if they’d ever heard of that saying and nobody has. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, but when I Googled “‘hitting the center square’ reporter” I only came up with one result, the column by its publisher.

The publication has burned through several different names over the past few years, so I’ve lately taken to lampooning it a bit, referring to the site as “that Center Square thingy,” “Circle gets the Center Square,the artist formerly known as INN” etc.

But after about ten of these, I’m starting to run out of names. Friends and colleagues have chimed in with helpful suggestions, but I don’t have enough stockpiled to make it through the week and my brain is still a little fried from the session. So…

* The Question: Your own twist on The Center Square’s name?

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 12:54 pm

Comments

  1. Paul Lynd news

    Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 12:57 pm

  2. TASS: Illinois News Agency.

    Also, I suspect everytime they completely destroy their own credibility, they re-brand to stay a step ahead of the mess they made for themselves.

    A corporate-funded mouthpiece by any other name would still try to fool the masses.

    Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 12:57 pm

  3. Whoopi

    Comment by Ok Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 12:59 pm

  4. The Centralia Town Crier

    (hat-tip to Proft)

    Comment by Ok Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:00 pm

  5. Circle gets the square.

    Shadoe Stevens’ blog

    Comment by Robert the Bruce Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:01 pm

  6. They should change it to an unpronounceable logo with the tag, the publisher formerly known as the disgraced INN.

    Comment by Chicago 20 Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:01 pm

  7. Right of Fax

    Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:02 pm

  8. I got into journalism in 1974. Never heard of that term until now.

    Comment by up2now Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:02 pm

  9. ===Circle gets the square.===

    Already used that one.

    Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:03 pm

  10. You’ve hit the “center square” if you’re to the right of Bruce Rauner and to the left of Attila the Hun.

    I heard they wanted to go with “tronc” but Ferro still has the rights and he wanted $2 million and tickets to Britney Spears’ show in Vegas.

    Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:03 pm

  11. The T Square
    Sponge Bob Square News
    Square Are We
    Journey to the Center of the Square
    Square of the Dog

    Comment by Unpopular Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:04 pm

  12. The Squared Circle (wrasslin’ reference)

    Comment by Father Ted Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:04 pm

  13. Right of Center Square

    Comment by A Well-Regulated Commenter Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:04 pm

  14. ===Journey to the Center of the Square ===

    Used that one, too.

    Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:05 pm

  15. The end of the Blue Line in Forest Park is “The Center for Loose Squares.”

    There are usually three or four competing entrepreneurs there selling single cigarettes.

    Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:09 pm

  16. Each time they rebrand…. “Iron Light”, Tillman’s for profit PR firm, gets a cut. The “Center Square”, “Illinois News Network”, and other names are just the side projects and how non profit dollars get moved into for profit or used for other purposes. This happens nationally with “reporters” (who refuse to fact check or make corrections) who are shared within similar networks.

    Comment by FakeNews Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:10 pm

  17. Center Peg, Square Hole

    Comment by A guy Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:11 pm

  18. Nowhere Near the Center of the Square

    Comment by Teacher Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:11 pm

  19. Reporter Mill?

    Comment by hulk logan Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:13 pm

  20. Ain’t No Center Square Enough Baby

    Comment by A Well-Regulated Commenter Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:14 pm

  21. We will be circulating the IPI explanation to real journalism schools to see if anyone ever heard that nonsense
    Meanwhile RBN — Ruth Buzzy News

    Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:14 pm

  22. Round Peg in Square Center

    Comment by Wensicia Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:14 pm

  23. The Square at the Center of the Rainbow (happy Pride month btw)

    The “Squarely in the Center of the far right” folks.

    The “too Square to be in the Center of the fun” brigade. Bit of a stretch there. I wanna call them square as in boring somehow.

    Comment by Perrid Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:16 pm

  24. I appreciate their diversity in honoring Paul Lynde, he he he

    Comment by 100 miles wedt Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:16 pm

  25. Kidding on the Square
    Center Squared
    Squares of the Midway
    The Mean of the Square
    Unfair and Square

    Comment by ChicagoVinny Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:18 pm

  26. Radical Centering

    Comment by union proud Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:19 pm

  27. Centre Squaer

    Middlemost Quadrangle

    bingo board free space

    Comment by hisgirlfriday Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:21 pm

  28. Piazzale Loreto

    Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:24 pm

  29. Hip to be (Center) Square
    Square Central
    R-squared
    The Squarehouse

    Comment by Stormfield Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:26 pm

  30. Policywood Squares (like Hollywood Squares but fused with IPI)

    Comment by Questioning Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:27 pm

  31. Right Leaning Rhombus
    Twice the News Area of Center Triangle
    Center Circle without the Pi

    Comment by Dance Band on the Titanic Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:27 pm

  32. The Center of Squares

    Comment by Birdseed Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:29 pm

  33. Just call it Bruce Vilanch.

    Comment by Melido Perez Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:32 pm

  34. L 7 weenie

    Comment by Squints Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:33 pm

  35. Our contributors grew up watching “Square Pegs” and “Square One Television.”

    Comment by Leatherneck Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:34 pm

  36. The Square Dealer

    Comment by walker Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:35 pm

  37. The Paul Lynde News Hour

    Comment by Just Me Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:36 pm

  38. Middle Rectangle

    Comment by Anon E Moose Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:36 pm

  39. “Not so Hollywood” Squares

    Comment by I Miss Bentohs Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:37 pm

  40. - Robert the Bruce - Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:01 pm:

    Circle gets the square.

    Shadoe Stevens’ blog
    ———-

    Do they give random readers the opportunity to pick one of 7 keys that could start a brand-new car? Like in the late ’80s Hollywood Squares with Shadoe Stevens at center square.

    Comment by Leatherneck Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:40 pm

  41. A square is a person who’s out of touch and ‘core’ is a synonym for center.

    So I guess it would be “core of ignorance?”

    Comment by Stuff Happens Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:41 pm

  42. Maybe square is the correct title for them. This is one of the meanings of square, “Square is often used to speak of a person who is regarded as dull, rigidly conventional, and out of touch with current trends.”

    Comment by Downstate Dem Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:43 pm

  43. Why play chess when you can play tic-tac-toe?

    Comment by Stuff Happens Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:43 pm

  44. Illinois News Square
    The Good, The Center, and The Square
    Squaring the Circle
    Twelve Angry Squares
    All Center on the Square Front

    Comment by OutOfState Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:44 pm

  45. United Center to the Madison Square Garden

    Comment by Jose Abreu's Next Homerun Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:44 pm

  46. Tiananmen

    Comment by Angry Republican Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:44 pm

  47. Off-Center Square
    Be There or Be Center Square
    Don’t Be a Center Square
    The Illinois News Network Squared
    E=MC^2 (Ex-INN equals Makeover x Center Squared)

    Okay, now I’m just reaching.

    Comment by IL4Life Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:46 pm

  48. Times Square - as in all those on-line newspapers Proft created, Illinois Valley Times, Kendall County Times, Kankakee Times, etc.

    Comment by Kate Cloonen Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:46 pm

  49. First we must withdraw the Ruth Buzzi idea, because it does not appear she appeared, but the Urban Dictionary offer this provocative suggestions….
    Top definition

    Center Square

    An adjective, the phrase refers to long-time comedian and actor Paul Lynde who occupied the center square in the long-running television show Hollywood Squares. The phrase is used to describe a person or thing that is flamboyantly gay.

    See “Center Square Gay”.

    Sometimes a perjorative as in a put-down of a person or thing.

    Hipster slang heard in Hyde Park, Chicago; UW- Madison, Wisconsin and Washington, DC political circles.

    “Mike’s dress is center square.”
    “Can Mike be any more center square?”
    “Did you hear that? It was so center square.”

    #gay#homosexual#flamboyant#colorful#dazzling#elaborate#gaudy#showy#splashy#not serious#center square gay#straight#conservative#

    by Pennlingo January 24, 2012

    Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:48 pm

  50. Centrum Quadratum

    Or, if you prefer Rauner’s favorite language…

    Centro Quadrato

    Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:53 pm

  51. The “middle square” method is a flawed way of generating pseudorandom numbers.

    In this context, is it flawed pseudorandom reporting?

    Comment by Stuff Happens Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:56 pm

  52. The (not so) Center Square
    The Center Circ(ular firing squad)

    Comment by JoeMaddon Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 1:59 pm

  53. Right Angles

    Comment by ChrisB Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:04 pm

  54. Do-See-Do to the Center Square

    Comment by Skeptic Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:06 pm

  55. ==When a reporter is on target within their beat, they’re said “to be hitting the center square.”==

    I’ve never heard this phrase. I don’t believe “Center Square” is “spot on”. I’ve heard the other plenty

    Comment by A guy Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:12 pm

  56. Tic Tac Toe? Let’s play Global-Thermonuclear War.

    Comment by Kippax Blue Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:13 pm

  57. Would this be the “rubric’s cube?”

    Comment by Stuff Happens Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:28 pm

  58. The Square Root of the Center.

    Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:28 pm

  59. The Middle Parallelogram.

    Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:30 pm

  60. Terror on the square.

    Comment by Former Cadet Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:32 pm

  61. la plaza central

    – MrJM

    Comment by @misterjayem Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:32 pm

  62. Back to Square One

    Comment by Boone's is Back Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:33 pm

  63. I’ve worked in several newsrooms in several states and never heard that expression before. Maybe a hyper-local expression?

    Comment by No Dog in the Hunt Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:40 pm

  64. Squaring the news to fit our central tenets

    Comment by Jocko Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:41 pm

  65. Seconding “The Squared Circle (wrasslin’ reference)”

    Comment by Anon24 Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:45 pm

  66. Center Cut - we cut to the bone of the story. Hat tip Raunie

    Comment by Columbo Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:47 pm

  67. Center of Madness

    Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:49 pm

  68. Sponge Center Square Pants

    Comment by A guy Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:52 pm

  69. Teeniemen Square

    Comment by Iron Lady Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:52 pm

  70. News providers to the SJR and Channel 20.

    Comment by Leatherneck Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:58 pm

  71. The Center Square Dance

    Comment by Unpopular Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 3:01 pm

  72. The Red Square…errrr… the Right News Now…the totally fair and balanced not at all conservative centrist news square, Inc.

    Comment by AlienOverlord Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 3:04 pm

  73. Right leaning parallelogram

    Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 3:04 pm

  74. Vitruvian News Network

    Comment by Jibba Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 3:04 pm

  75. channeling Austin Powers:

    “Oh besquare baby.”

    Comment by don the legend Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 3:05 pm

  76. “Hip to Be a Square” Sesame Street

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdcHzquaMh8

    Comment by Enviro Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 3:12 pm

  77. - Leatherneck - Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 2:58 pm:

    News providers to the SJR and Channel 20.
    ——————–

    At least we’re not on “Code Red” every night!

    Comment by Leatherneck Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 3:16 pm

  78. Fox News Illinois…

    Comment by d. p. gumby Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 3:32 pm

  79. the snore zone.

    Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 3:57 pm

  80. “Rose Marie to block”

    Comment by argon Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 4:04 pm

  81. Infowars

    Comment by Try-4-Truth Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 4:12 pm

  82. News Squared aka N2 or No News

    Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 4:26 pm

  83. News Cubed aka N3 Not Normal News

    Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 4:28 pm

  84. Squaring the Corners

    Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 4:28 pm

  85. Squaring the Fax

    Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 4:31 pm

  86. circular firing square

    rent-a-center-and-a-party square

    rauner square

    square dance center

    grifter square

    center squawk

    Comment by hisgirlfriday Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 4:41 pm

  87. Koch News

    Comment by Chicago 20 Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 4:52 pm

  88. Four Square News
    Recess News
    Around the World News

    Comment by ArchPundit Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 5:02 pm

  89. Lie Squared

    Comment by Naming Rights Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 5:10 pm

  90. Distribution Skewed Right Square News

    A bit stats oriented for most probably

    Comment by ArchPundit Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 5:15 pm

  91. Isn’t this the same name as one of mike foucher’s floundering efforts?

    Comment by Shytown Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 5:38 pm

  92. RT Illinois

    Comment by Not a Billionaire Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 5:50 pm

  93. Square Club for Men

    Comment by McLincol Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 5:57 pm

  94. The Paul Lynne Halloween Special was my introduction to KISS.
    To the post: my guess is they googled synonyms for “Fair and Balanced”… it’s shocking to me a paid “information” outlet made up a phrase no legitimate journalist has ever heard.
    Sin or Be Square
    You Can’t Track Us News
    Chameleon News Source
    John Doe News

    Comment by Vote Quimby Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 6:44 pm

  95. Center THIS (pronounced “Center DIS” on the south side).

    Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 7:34 pm

  96. Pi are squared (cake are round)

    Comment by notsosure Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 8:11 pm

  97. None More Square

    Comment by Barnaby Wilde Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 9:44 pm

  98. The Baker’s Square Center for Central Square Reporting

    Comment by A Young Person Wednesday, Jun 5, 19 @ 9:48 pm

  99. Intellectually Naked News Network

    Comment by Smitty Irving Thursday, Jun 6, 19 @ 7:25 am

  100. The Wrong Square, Square of Lies, Central Pravda Square, etc.

    Comment by revvedup Thursday, Jun 6, 19 @ 7:31 am

  101. Squares, Damned Squares, and Centers

    Comment by OutOfState Thursday, Jun 6, 19 @ 8:05 am

  102. Zeroes Squared

    Comment by Nuclear Bozo Thursday, Jun 6, 19 @ 9:13 am

  103. The Loose Squares

    Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, Jun 6, 19 @ 10:55 am

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